Editorial: Save education sector
Srinagar: Education has been on the forefront of bearing the brunt of the turmoil Kashmir Valley has been witnessing over the past three decades now. The mass copying phenomenon and the massive devastation of infrastructure during the early nineties were the most severe deadly blows that the sector had to face.
However, after the passage of almost a decade later, the sector witnessed some improvement and things were beginning to come back on track. But the last two years have once again proved detrimental to the sector as the academic session of the students over the past two years has been taking a hit once again.
The past two years have witnessed an upsurge of protests in Kashmir after the killing of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani in July 2016. Since then the education sector has been faced with severe issues as both the government and separatist forces have been trying to derail the education sector.
The separatists who are often involved in calling bandhs and protests give the authorities a chance to close down schools and colleges in the Valley. Besides, all other activities of the sector come to a standstill as exams, interviews and other related actions are also delayed by the authorities. At times it seems that the authorities are taking the measures at the drop of a hat.
The frequent disruptions in the education sector have been telling upon the overall growth and development of our future. The commotion witnessed in the academic calendar leaves the students community under tremendous pressure as authorities without giving any reason or rhyme announce examinations on time despite the disruptions in class work leading to the students getting stressed for no fault of theirs.
Besides, the parents too are asked to pay the school tuition and even the bus fee for the period when the schools faced closure and the students had to idle their time sitting in their homes.
Amidst all this the society at large has every right to ask some questions to the authorities who get so panicky and announce the closure of schools for days together. The authorities need to provide answers as to what holds the entire state machinery including its police to put a system in place that will ensure running of the schools despite bandhs and protests.
If the government is sincere on this plank let them announce some short term measures to deal with the situation that has already left every right thinking person worried.
The government has already constituted a group of experts to prepare a vision document for interventions in the education sector. Why doesn’t the group play its part and immediately come out with some short term measures to deal with this crisis like situation.
No doubt, the group is supposed to prepare policies, guidelines and schemes to ensure full literacy through an optimal use of existing infrastructure and human resources available in the State, but let the group be first used to deal with the crisis in hand and come out with some measures to ensure the continuation of the academic activity. This issue is of foremost importance and needs attention immediately.
KV Correspondent
